Showcase Features: Native gardens are not just for people with large yards and extensive financial resources! This garden elegantly showcases how a homeowner with limited finances and space constraints can create a water-wise urban native oasis in the heart of downtown San Jose. One of the challenges of the urban landscape was also that the city requested two off-street parking spots in a backyard barely large enough for two cars! The solution was a permeable parking surface that could convert to a patio for outdoor living, and a fold up deck with stackable lightweight furniture and a movable fire pit. Two large raised planters provide for additional seating, and a small strip of lawn is used as a dog run. The yard features a section for herbs, vegetables, fruit trees, and food gardening as well as the natives.

Other Garden Attractions: The small front yard is thickly planted with native shrubs including ceanothus, sage, eriogonums, and manzanita. Two California Bay Laurel are small shrubs now, but will eventually be multi-trunked trees. The back yard contains many large native shrubs including two magnificent Bush Poppies, Pink-flowering Currants, Carpenteria, and a Red Twig Dogwood. A California Buckeye will provide shade as it matures. Juncus along the driveway provides a playful low-water distraction from the neighbor's home bordering the driveway, and Vitis californica turns the garage into a crimson and yellow attraction in the fall.

Gardening for Wildlife: The extensive use of red-flowering plants provides special attraction for hummingbirds and butterflies

☺ Garden Talk: 11:30am: A talk on Low Water Lawn Options

Years of CA Native Gardening at this Location: 2

Garden Size: 2,500 sq ft

Designer: Sarah Doty
Installer: Sarah Doty Consulting

Plant list: In preparation, will be linked later...